Sadio Mane punched in a back-post winner as poor Liverpool found a way to keep its unbeaten Premier League season alive with a 3-2 defeat of West Ham United at Anfield.
The Reds improve their record to 26-1, leading second-place Manchester City by 22 points.
[ MORE: Klopp reacts to comeback ]
West Ham threw away a 2-1 lead when star goalkeeper Lukasz Fabinaksi fumbled an easy save, and Mane made the most of the disorganized Irons defense late in the match.
The Irons remain a point off safety with 24 points.
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Three things we learned
1. Team of destiny Liverpool again wins while miles off its best: Liverpool center back Joe Gomez and to a lesser extent his partner Virgil van Dijk had poor days, and Jurgen Klopp’s attackers’ finishing touches were largely absent. Still, the defiant league leaders found their way to three points are now 11 matches from history.
When you can play way off your standard and still out-attempt a Premier League side 25-7, well, you’re pretty good.
WOAH 😳
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) February 24, 2020
WEST HAM LEVEL IT! ⚒ pic.twitter.com/8zugoHTEyJ
2. Fabianski gifts Reds equalizer: Lukasz Fabianski has saved West Ham so, so many times, and he made some nice saves on the day including a wonderful stop on Trent Alexander-Arnold. But his howler of the highest variety on Salah’s tepid low shot is about as bad as it gets for a keeper short of turning and firing into your own goal.
OH DEAR 😬
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) February 24, 2020
Liverpool find their equalizer. pic.twitter.com/NvODAd8TCp
3. Amazing Alexander-Arnold: The right back was again phenomenal an easy Man of the Match in assisting two goals. He would’ve had three if Mane stayed onside in a late lapse of judgment.
If a game had the makings of a 4-4, it was this one; Liverpool has quality players, obviously, but has been prone to lapses. There are fewer of the former and more of the latter for West Ham, but the attackers have high potential.
Liverpool took the leader when Wijnaldum turned a header inside the near post, but Issa Diop answered with a header of his own off a corner kick. The West Ham center back started in the six and darted back in front of Joe Gomez to nod home.
Chances for Sadio Mane after fooling Robert Snodgrass with a dribble and Trent Alexander-Arnold from the right led to near misses.
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Roberto Firmino was sent through by Trent Alexander-Arnold and missed a chance badly to start the second half, and Mohamed Salah soon saw a shot blocked by West Ham.
West Ham was stout at the back and looked prepared on the counter, but Liverpool can only blame itself for the second goal. Fornals hung out between Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, with Fabinho also in the vicinity of Declan Rice’s cross.
Lukasz Fabianski made a wonderful flying save on an Alexander-Arnold knuckler outside the box, and Liverpool move into the final half-hour up one.
The keeper made a huge error to allow to Liverpool 2-2, a Salah shot squirting through the player’s hands and legs.
Michail Antonio flubbed a 72nd-minute point blank chance.
Liverpool blew chances to make it 3-2 through Van Dijk and Salah as the match reached the final quarter-hour.
Alisson collected a low drive from Sebastian Haller.
Alexander-Arnold set Mane up for a back post finish to put Liverpool ahead, and the same pair saw a fourth goal chalked offside as the Senegalese lazily lost his focus.
Substitute attacker Jarrod Bowen was saved by Alisson when Antonio played him through in the 88th minute.
West Ham had a few more big chances, Noble seeing a rip deflect wide for a final corner. It was cleared by Andy Robertson.